Betterbinder abdominal binder

ABSTRACT

This new device, named BetterBinder, encircles the back and belly, conforms easily and well to the appropriate section of the body and therefore can support the abdomen or stabilize the spine and pelvis. It can function as a supportive abdominal binder after abdominal surgery, during pregnancy and after childbirth. Better Binder can serve as a restrictor of motion in the ribs, lumbar or thoracic spine, pelvis and sacroiliac joints. Its “sideways letter H” shaped design can be constructed advantageously with a cool breathable non-slip laminated urethane fabric which rests firmly on the skin that it is placed on, such as Fabrifoam., U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,838. This fabric is strong and soft with limited longitudinal stretch. BetterBinder could also be made with soft, strong suitable, more conventional elastic. The outer surface of the fabric must be Velcro compatible.

FIELD

This present invention discloses a versatile binder and support, which can be used in many ways within the medical arena. Some of the uses are listed below.

-   -   To conform and offer support to the organs and muscles after         abdominal surgery.     -   To support the slackened belly after childbirth.     -   To encircle, support and girdle the pregnant belly.     -   To encircle, support and girdle the obese belly of child or         adult, male or female.     -   To reduce motion and stabilize the joints of the low back and/or         pelvis.     -   To reduce motion of a fractured rib.     -   To support the breasts if nursing must be discontinued.

DESCRIPTION

The garment is one piece cut generally in the shape of the letter H, lying horizontally. The solid middle piece of the H is eight or so inches wide; each if the four arms are four or so inches wide and ten to fifteen inches long. A short piece of hook fastener is applied to the terminal end of each arm. The crossbar of the H is placed at the wearer's back at an appropriate level on the back to support or stabilize the target area of the body, be it the spine, pelvis or abdomen. The wearer or the assistant, if the patient is unable, pulls the top left arm of the H forward and through the slit in the top right arm. This left arm is then fastened on the right onto the central panel at the side of the body. The bottom right arm is moved similarly on the left, passing through the slit in the bottom left arm, and fastened after being stretched forward, on the bottom left of the center panel at the left side of the wearer's body.

Tightness is variable according to the purpose of the binder, patient's condition and preference and the health care provider's direction. Because the fabric is soft and comfortable, it can conform to the contour of individual bodies in its entirety from top to bottom. The result is a firm but soft, comfortable, supportive—but not constricting or compressive force. To stabilize the low back or lumber spine, the body of the H, also called the center panel, would be placed over the whole of the low back. To stabilize the upper back, placement would be higher. To stabilize the sacroiliac joints, the initial placement of the main body of BetterBinder would be lower.

BACKGROUND ART/DRAWINGS

FIG. 1, page 3A shows the letter “H” shape an relative sizes of the center panel and arms or extensions of the unfastened binder.f the unfastened binder. Each “arm” is ten to fifteen inches long, depending on the size needed to fit the wearer (small, medium, large, etc). The wearer can easily pull each top “arm” forward before inserting one end into the other top “arm”. The wearer then pulls each arm and fastens each on the opposite side of the body. The bottom arms are stretched and fastened in the same way. The body of the size medium binder is eight or so inches from top to bottom.

FIG. 2, page 3B: view of BetterBinder from the side illustrates an applied BetterBinder from the Notice the two Velcro fabric fastenings of the “arms” of the binder, (represented by small white areas within the body of the binder). The lower fastening is toward the viewer; the upper fastening is on the other side.

FIG. 3: page 3C shows the anterior view of an applied BetterBinder. Notice the white of the hook on the right and left sides of the BetterBinder.

DETAIL OF VARIOUS USES FOR BETTERBINDER

As an Abdominal Binder Post Childbirth

Years ago, abdominal binders were commonly used after normal vaginal childbirth. In earlier, simpler times, the postpartum binder commonly used was called the Skultedus Binder. Nurses used old sheets to make them for each woman. The sheet would be folded into three or four layers about ten inches wide and centered on the patient's low back. Nurses would then tear three or four strips of the fabric horizontally on the sides—leaving the back center piece intact. The torn tails were brought to the abdomen and crossed from right to left and left to right. Ends were pinned in place with a diaper pin. The binder was very comfortable and supportive; they offered welcome security to the new mother who was about to get out of bed and deal with her overstretched belly. Today's obstetrical health care providers miss them. Of course, our country's health care system has “progressed”; nurses no longer have time to tear sheets to fit individual patients and in fact, Binders are rarely used after normal vaginal births.

As an Abdominal Support During Pregnancy or for the Obese

Many pregnant women appreciate a maternity support that encircles, supports and girdles the pregnant belly. Some obese patients are not able to move about normally without significant support for their pendulous abdomens. Currently these patients may have only “girdles” which may not be large enough or comfortable enough to fit them. Maternity patients are limited to uncomfortable corsets or compressive supports that begin at the low back and swing down to fasten under the enlarged belly. Because BetterBinder is so versatile, soft, comfortable, strong and effective, it is comfortable for obese men, women and children. During pregnancy, Better Binder can comfortably encircle and support the whole abdomen rather than resting only in a narrow strip under the belly.

As an Abdominal Binder Post Abdominal Surgery

Surgeons today frequently—even routinely—order abdominal binders after abdominal surgery when there has been an incision of several inches or more. As a physical therapist and patient, I have seen only several versions of one type of post-surgical binder. It is generally eight to twelve inches high from top to bottom. Though it portends to fasten all along the center front via hook and loop fastening, in actual functional use, only the middle few inches of the binder come together because of the lack of flexibility and non-conformity of the stiff elastic fabric. The top and bottom of the binder are loose and non-functional as a support for the post-surgical belly, offering only 10 to 15% of potential and needed support.

As a Binder for Restricting Motion and therefore Reducing Pain of the Lumbar Spine, Thoracic Spine and Pelvis.

Just as a cast immobilizes a fractured bone and restricts movement which reduces pain, a binder can reduce pain in the spine or ribs. For low back pain, there are varieties of the same belt design that encircles the body in the area of the low back and pelvis and purport to reduce pain. They are commonly suggested by physicians, physical therapists, and chiropractors to reduce motion. Some of these binders have optional inserts that slip in the back panel after they have been heated and molded to conform to the wearer's low back. Because they physically reduce motion via a tight fastening, they are girdle-like and uncomfortable. Simple sitting and sitting and eating cause so much upward pressure that the binder is often so uncomfortable that the patient must take the binder off—perhaps for the rest of the day. Currently there is no binding support for the upper back, a less common but not less painful area—if dysfunctional. BetterBinder offers a comfort and motion reduction that works so well in standing and sitting and even during eating that it is worn all day with enthusiasm because of pain relief. Some patients also wear their binder all night during sleep. BetterBinder can easily wrap and bind the upper back, much to the relief of patients who have had heretofore unremitting pain.

SUMMARY: USES OF BETTERBINDER

This versatile binder can be used in many ways within the medical arena.

-   -   1. To conform to the belly and offer support to the organs and         muscles after abdominal surgery.     -   2. To encircle, support and girdle the slackened belly after         childbirth.     -   3. To encircle, support and girdle the pregnant of obese belly         of child or adult, male or female.     -   4. To reduce motion and thereby stabilize the joints of the         upper back, low back and/or pelvis.     -   5. To reduce the motion of a fractured rib.     -   6. To ease breast discomfort when breast-feeding must be         discontinued. 

1. This binder, as an abdominal binder, stretches minimally and only in a longitudinal direction, conforms to the back and belly and acts as a complete binder, support and stabilizer of the abdomen of the obese person or pregnant woman.
 2. This binder conforming as stated in claim 1 can firmly restrict motion of the joints of the lumbar spine, thoracic spine, sacroiliac joints, and ribs.
 3. This binder's shape includes a central back panel which is eight or so inches in height and ten or more inches in width depending on the width of the back of the body that it is sized for.
 4. The four extensions, which are contiguous with, and extend outward from the center panel are variable in length according to the width and size of the body to be fitted. Variance could be from ten to thirty inches. There are four extensions, a pair extending from the upper portion of the center panel and a pair extending from the lower portion of the center panel. Each extension is four or so inches wide. They are referred to as upper and lower pairs or arms.
 5. At the terminal ends of each of the extensions is a rounded, one to three inch long, piece of hook fastening which is as wide as the adjacent fabric.
 6. Approximately in the middle of one of the upper extensions and one of the lower extensions is a slit that is almost as wide as the fabric. The slit is on the right extension of the upper pair and on the left extension of the lower pair.
 7. The end of the top extension from the left is passed through the slit on the top extension on the right. The wearer pulls the left extension all the way through the slit and in fact stretches it before fastening it via the hook fabric on the terminal end of the extension to the right side of the central panel described in claim
 3. A similar process is performed in reverse with he bottom pairs. The e extension on the bottom right is passed through the slit on the bottom left extension and is then pulled through completely, stretched forward and fastened on the left of the central panel.
 8. The means of fastening, as described in claim 7, a wrapping to the left and a wrapping to the right, produces a comforting, comfortable, complete and secure enclosure of the target area for a specific varying purposes. Tightness varies according to use, preference, and the health care provider's order. For example, if the function of the binder were to protect and support an incision, the tightness would be light, whereas if the function were to reduce motion in the back, tightness would be firmer. 